How cloud computing and VoIP make IT disruption avoidance easier — and less costly

Nobody stays in business long if their business-critical data and apps are lost. So pardon me if I sound like my replay button got stuck, but I’ll say it again: make sure your critical data and apps are replicated to a secure remote environment that’s always accessible from anywhere.

You’re at least halfway there if you’re using a cloud-based backup replication service — but, of course, you need to make sure you’re dealing with a provider with a secure, scalable, fail-safe environment and plenty of flexibility when it comes to service options.

Combining virtualized data replication, secure data storage, and disaster recovery capabilities in a resilient cloud environment makes data recovery smoother and less costly, since data replicas and data backups can be managed with the same software. Your provider should be able to ensure the safety, security, and integrity of your data whether it’s replicated to a shared environment or a discrete, dedicated one.

And don’t forget about what you’ll need to communicate with employees and customers. Using cellphones, web-based email, instant messaging, Facebook, etc., can enable you to stay in touch with employees. To interact with customers when your facilities are compromised, your best bet is hosted voice-over-IP (VoIP), which allows your office phones to easily be forwarded to other numbers.